Re: Re: Maerz & Paul

Thank you, Neil, for the information. These
reference works are mainly for the benefit of registrars and hybridizers,
then. I did find, in my search on the web, a reference from the US Patent
Office concerning obtaining a patent on any plant, stating that its description
should include its color according to a standard reference such as the RHS
or M & P. It's amazing what one can find on the web! I did
do a search on E-Bay with no results, by the way.

Maerz & Paul color charts have been out of print for
a number of years--since about 1939, I think, information I got from Keith
Keppel, but I would have to go find that e-mail to be sure of the
date. Keith said it shows up on E-Bay from time to time. You can
expect to pay a fairly serious price ($50 and up) for copies with significant
age showing.

Publisher? I think "Maerz & Paul" may have
been the name of the publisher.

The Registrar's office has color reference books for the
use of the person in that position. Keith also has a copy or two of
his own, one of which was originally the property of Agnes Whiting, I
believe.

One might have to go to a large library to look up the
Maerz & Paul, then check the color plate to see what color is
described. The registrations that use these numbers, such as Keppel's,
also use the *name* of that color in the M & P, which gives me as much
information as I usually need. Compare Keppel's registrations with
catalog descriptions and you will find what was highly precise and technical
in the registration will be translated into conventional terms.
HAPPENSTANCE is registered with a complex M & P description, but rendered
"pink with a peach tone" or some such in most listings, for
example.